American soccer fans were left misty-eyed ahead of the USMNT’s opening World Cup game as country stars Dan + Shay treated SoFi Stadium to a rousing rendition of the national anthem.
More than 70,000 fans packed into the Inglewood, California stadium on Friday night for the USA’s opening game against Paraguay, with the crowd also treated to a Katy Perry opening ceremony ahead of kickoff.
Before attention turned to the sport itself, country music pair Dan + Shay – real names Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney – stepped out to perform the Star-Spangled Banner.
And their note-perfect rendition left fans feeling patriotic, as the entire country got behind Mauricio Pochettino’s team in their biggest game of all-time.
‘That was awesome,’ one fan wrote. ‘Hearing the crowd sing along… gets me in my feelings. Go USA!’
Another added: ‘Great job! USA! USA!’
Photos from inside the stadium showed some fans in tears during the anthem, while the players belted it out from the center circle.
It has been 32 years since America hosted a World Cup, but the globe’s biggest sport is now back on US soil.
When the game began, Dan + Shay’s pregame performance appeared to have had the desired effect, with the USA taking the lead inside seven minutes.
The crowd was sent into raptures when Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla inadvertently put the ball into his own net to give America a 1-0 lead.
